Since my previous post on DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, I have received many comments and email inquiries about DHC products and where to find it. So, I decided to share with you my experience with DHC in the US.

I had heard all the raves about DHC that its Deep Cleansing Oil, Lip Cream, Olive Virgin Oil, ...etc are winners in Japan. When I was in college, my roommates used to order their DHC favorites online regularly. Ever since I have started using DHC Deep Cleansing Oil last summer, I have become more and more an avid fan of DHC.

In the US, it is rather inconvenient to buy Japanese cosmetics and skincare products. Typically, buying from oversea realiable online beauty stores is the easier, but costly, way to buy products from Japanese brands. I am glad DHC is one of the few Japanese brands that markets its products globally with great success. As far as I know, it is currently available in Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, US, and UK. To sum up, DHC US makes my shopping experience so convenient with just a simple click in front of the computer.

In Japan, DHC offers everything from cosmetics, skincare, lingerie, goods, fine food, health supplements, and even medicine. However, they don't sell the same products in different countries. In the US, DHC offers only skincare, cosmetics, fine food and supplements. Please note that some skincare and makeup lines, such as the popular Rose Beauty foundation line, are not currently available in the US.

DHC Deep Cleansing is part of my daily skincare regimen. You can read my previous post for why I can not live without it. I have just begun using some of DHC facial creams, and am liking the mild textures and natural scents. I was very surprised to find out a long list of DHC products that have won lots of beauty awards in Japan over the years. Many of its products are so highly recognized by beauty magazines, and are greatly favored by customers in Japan as well as other Asian countries. DHC definitely has a great fan base across countries. Of course, I am also one of the fans and here are the reasons:

[DHC catalog April 2008 issue]

Affordable PriceFirst of all, the unit pricing of DHC product is less expensive compared to other Japanese department store brands. Second, most of the Japanese cosmetics on the US market double up on price but DHC doesn't. In fact, I found some DHC products sold in the US are about the same price with DHC Japan. Some are even cheaper than in Japan. For example, Deep Cleansing Oil (200ml) costs ¥2,940 Japan Yen (equals USD$28.60) in Japan while it is sold at $24 in the US. Lip Cream costs ¥735 Japan Yen (equals USD $7.16) in Japan while it is sold at $7 in the US. Olive Virgin Oil (30ml) costs ¥4725 Japan Yen (equals USD$45.97 ) in Japan while it is sold at $38 in the US.

[Every month, I receive the DHC catalog with two to four free samples attached]

Every month, DHC has a page of sale items on both of its website and catalog. Different monthly sales are promoted in different countries where DHC is available. I like to browse the sales section from time to time for products that I like with bargain price. Products on sales are likely including popular items. (I still remember I have a "$10 off on next purchase of $50 or more" coupon at home :)

[DHC packet samples I have received in the past six months]

DHC has a generous take on giving their customers (or prospects) samples to try. In every order, either online or mail-in order, the package comes with four packet size samples. The sample selections are not limited to a few categories or unpopular products, but are open to its categories from head to toe. After my first purchase with DHC online, they put me in their mailing list and sending me monthly catalog by mail ( I can unsubscribe at anytime I want). Every month, I also receive two to four free samples in the catalog. Free sample is a step for me to test out DHC products before I buy.

Friendly Customer ServiceI rely on the internet to do shopping with DHC US. The website is user-friendly. Product information on the website is clear and helpful, and it is easy to browse by category.

I am probably the one who is quite picky on package wrapping and handling. From my previous shopping experiences, it is not DHC style for elaborate package decoration, but I love the way my receipt was printed clear and folded nicely along in the package. I can see my package was wrapped and handled with care. It probably has something to do with the Japanese style of customer service. They focus on satisfying customers' needs. I am glad to see DHC executes its friendly customer service so well even overseas.

Most of the online beauty stores that focus on Japanese cosmetics brands are from Asia. I don't see their websites feature English at this moment.If you are having language problem browsing these websites, I would recommend you to check out Ichibankao.

http://ichibankao.com

Ichibankao is based in Japan, and focuses on makeup products from Japanese department store brands and some popular drugstore brands.Compared to other online beauty stores, Ichibankao provides a more comprehensive collection of Japanese makeup products.Its website is in English and user-friendly.

If you have any question regarding products listed outside their website, you may contact them by ichibankao@gmail.com. They will try best to look for you.

The only drawback is shipping fee is included in the price of "each" item. So it is probably kind of costly to pay for the shipping part if you buy more than one product.

I hope this information is helpful for you. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.